Photoshop is often the go-to image editing software among graphic designers. Of course, it is a tool that can be used not just by professional artists.

Even if you have no prior experience with Photoshop, you should still be able to figure out how the software works after using it for a while.

Sure, some might seek to master Photoshop because they aspire to get better at their artistic works. Others, though, might need the tool to edit an image or two now and then.

Regardless of the circumstances, if you are looking to find out the basics of using Photoshop as a MacBook owner, this article will come in handy as it covers what Photoshop CS 5 Mac users need to focus on.

Pay Attention to Storage

Let’s start with storage. You might not think that the tool causes storage problems because you are editing images directly from the computer. 

The issue stems from temporary storage. Files you cannot really see slowly accumulate on the MacBook’s drive.

As soon as you see the error messages indicating that your Mac scratch disks are full, know that there are problems with the overall storage on the MacBook.

It is also worth noting that such errors sometimes occur because there is not enough memory that macOS can dedicate to Photoshop. However, unless you are running too many redundant background processes while also using Photoshop, the computer memory should not be a problem.

Once you finish your Photoshop session, check temporary storage and remove data you no longer need. It is recommended to rely on automatic cleanup utility tools like CleanMyMac to do this.

Also, keep an eye on the overall state of the MacBook’s drive space. Delete files you no longer need or transfer some data to external storage if possible.

Keep the Software Up to Date

Similar to how you want to run the latest operating system on your digital devices, you also want to keep Photoshop up to date.

Having the most recent version means benefiting from the performance improvements and the latest features.

While Photoshop updates are not that frequent, they still happen, so be sure to pay attention to them and get the latest version of the software as soon as it becomes available.

Speed Up Photoshop

If you have a relatively old MacBook, running Photoshop might be a bit of a problem. Photoshop is quite demanding resource-wise, so you will want to make sure that there are no redundant background applications hogging memory and other resources. The same can be said about the device’s storage.

Next, you want to check whether there is too much dust inside the MacBook. If that is the case, you should clean the dust to stop the computer from overheating, which affects the internal hardware and Photoshop.

Sticking to multiple ideas that improve the overall computer performance will, in turn, also help with how Photoshop is running on your MacBook, so keep that in mind.

Memorize Keyboard Shortcuts

Once you start using Photoshop, you will notice that there are quite a few different tools to choose from. Familiarizing yourself with each tool will take time, particularly if you have no prior experience with Photoshop or similar software.

You should notice that each tool has an assigned keyboard shortcut to it. Ideally, you want to memorize as many relevant keyboard shortcuts as you can while using Photoshop. Doing so will let you become more efficient and save time.

Besides individual Photoshop built-in tools, there are also keyboard shortcuts for various commands, which you will probably want to focus on later.

Save Files Correctly

After you finish editing an image, you will have to save a file. The process might seem pretty straightforward, but it is a bit more complicated than that.

You need to be careful about what format you save images in because there is compatibility on different devices to consider. 

If you are uncertain, going for JPEG or PNG is usually a good choice because these image formats are usually compatible with most devices and operating systems.

Check Available Tutorials

Learning and mastering Photoshop is a long process, and you should not expect to figure out everything without outside help.

It would be a waste not to take advantage of the available video tutorials that cover pretty much everything there is to learn about Photoshop. And for the most part, these tutorials are available for free on platforms like YouTube,

Find Your Style and Stick to It

The last thing to mention is that you can take it easy and learn at your own pace. Not everyone is pursuing becoming a Photoshop master, and knowing the very basics is enough.

Moreover, just like with other artistic software, if you find your personal style, you should be fine sticking and polishing it.